This classroom assessment technique, described in Angelo and Cross’s Classroom Assessment Techniques (1993), allows students the opportunity to “identify, clarify, and connect their values by responding to course-related issues and problems they are likely to encounter” (p. 271).  This classroom assessment technique offers students a powerful learning opportunity while also giving the course instructor a mechanism to explore and understand students’ perspectives and possible misconceptions related to a certain topic. 

 The assessment begins by providing students with a scenario they might be likely to encounter in the future, as related to the goals and content of the course. For instance, Angelo and Cross offer a scenario from a health care management course in which a hospital administrator must decide whether to increase prices on various services to cover losses in services provided to low-income patients or to reduce or block access to services for those patients who are less likely to pay. The instructor then identifies two or three questions that require the students to take and justify their position given in the scenario. For instance: 1) What are the legal requirements and constraints that inform your choice as the hospital administrator? 2) Which option would you choose and how would you justify your choice? 3) What are the likely consequences resulting from your choice for your hospital, for your employees, and for the community your hospital serves? 

 Next, students are asked to write honest, short, and anonymous responses. The purpose of making this first component of the assessment anonymous is to ensure students offer their authentic opinion to the prompt, rather than the opinion they believe is held by the instructor. Students receive points for submitting this component of the assignment. 

 After the anonymous responses are received, the instructor reviews them and summarizes the various perspectives and justifications presented in them. This summary – along with any additional relevant legal, factual, or contextual information – is shared at a future class meeting. Students are then placed in small groups and given the opportunity to discuss the issues and the various perspectives represented across the class. The small groups share-out with the whole class about their discussion and what they learned about the broader issue presented and how their values effected their reasoning. 

 Finally, students are asked to write a reflection paper that summarizes what they learned from the activity and how it may help them in their future roles in health care. This reflection paper can be graded at the individual level as the final component of the assignment (submission of anonymous response, participation in small group discussion, and individual final reflection paper). 

This classroom assessment activity works best when the instructor wants to support the development of students’ ethical reasoning and learn more about difficult decisions that must be made in various situations. It is important to note that this activity may be viewed negatively by students who are not interested in discussing values or ethics in a course and may be distressing to instructors if students’ values or ethical beliefs are not as expected. However, as with all assessment activities, the development of an open, trusting relationship between the instructor and the students may help mitigate these challenges. 

Two of the College of Education’s Strategy Teams (Improve Student Satisfaction, Success, and Belonging, and Strengthen Employee Engagement and Belonging) are working to strengthen and grow the sense of belonging. One of the first tasks that both strategy teams are undertaking is to unpack belonging to better understand its importance to the individuals in these various groups and to begin to develop strategies to grow and strengthen the sense of belonging in employees and students. 

While there are varying definitions and descriptions of belonging, one resource that has been useful to the strategy teams in unpacking belong is the Belonging Drivers & Elements Primer developed at the Berkeley Haas Center. This guide proposes belonging is made up of five elements: 1) being seen, heard and valued; 2) contributions valued and respected; 3) sense of connectedness; 4) organizational knowledge; and 5) purpose alignment. 

1. Seen, heard, and valued as an individual / human. This is the bedrock of belonging, and includes being shown respect and given dignity, being acknowledged and called by name, receiving empathy from those around you, and being fully included in day-to-day activities and special celebrations. 
2. Contributions valued and respected. In a classroom setting this may include contributions to team projects or group discussions, responses or questions posed in class, or the feedback received on assignments. In a work setting, this includes having contributions acknowledged, being fully included in work teams and important projects, and giving appropriate and accurate credit to accomplishments. 
3. Sense of connectedness. Students and employees have a stronger sense of belonging when they have positive and meaningful interactions with others. This may include course- and work-related content, but also connections around personal interests, hobbies, or families. Some connections may happen spontaneously, but intentional practices, such as icebreakers, informal celebrations, and other recognitions are beneficial to individuals who are more introverted or who have roles that do not provide as many opportunities for informal interactions. 
4. Organizational knowledge. This aspect of belonging is often overlooked as many organizational practices are hidden and not readily apparent, especially to those who are new. For example, many new students may not have experience with college or know how various activities, such as registering for classes or changing a major, are completed. Similarly, new employees may not know how various practices are carried out, such as requesting an absence from work or where to store lunch. Not only is knowledge of such policies and practices helpful for success in school and at work, but they also build a sense of belonging and help students and employees know how to navigate their institutions. 
5. Purpose alignment. Alignment between the purpose of an organization and its employees or students is the final aspect of belonging. The top reason students entering the teacher education program list as their reason for wanting to be a teacher is “to serve others and contribute to my community.” This aligns with the College of Education’s vision to achieve the “best educational and mental health outcomes for all.”  This alignment happens at many levels. For instance, students who are required to take courses that they view as not aligned with their purpose or educational goals are more likely to rate those courses as less useful and of lower quality. 

Together, these five aspects of belonging can serve as a strong foundation for considering practices and strategies to support and build employees’ and students’ sense of belonging.